This makes me wish I had a portable backup VHF in my flight bag...

Why did he have his cell phone on? Hmmmm?

Why do I have to turn my cell phone off?

DAMN THE FAA!!!

lol, omg thats 2funny. glad 2kno every1 is safe.

Maybe they had the failure BECAUSE his phone was on. :)

I was thinking the same thing!
One rule for us common people...

Am I the only one wondering why they used texts instead of just calling?

It said it in the article. Basically the signal wasn't great, so they couldn't make out what he was saying.

Plus a Seneca is a pretty noisy beast, it's not a pressurized 737.

And, by the way, the headline 'Irish plane saved by text' is a bit exagerated I think. There are very clear procedures describing what needs to be done for approach and landing when you suffer a communciation failure, both with and without flight plan.

True story. I was on a flight returning from Canada a few years back. Coming into land as the plane got into range for the phone masts there was the distinctive sound of a text message being received.

The whole plane as one tutted their disapproval at the inconsiderate a-hole who would put the risk of everyone on the plane at risk.

Later, when I was off the plane I was looking in my bag and noticed that my phone was on and I had received a text - I was that a-hole.

But that's sort of an aside - the moral of the story is that the plane didn't crash and no-one died.

They lie to you about the phone situation. They lie.